The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is back in office as the federal government reopens, but it will not be up-to-date on its weekly Commitments of Traders (COT) reports until the end of January.

Efficiency erasure escalates - A US House Energy and Commerce subcommittee is preparing to advance seven Republican-backed bills that would roll back Biden-era energy efficiency regulations, a move GOP lawmakers argue will reduce appliance and utility costs, E&E News reported. The post-shutdown markup, led by Energy Subcommittee Chair Bob Latta (R-OH), is expected to revive partisan debate, with Democrats maintaining that efficiency standards cut consumer expenses and lower overall energy demand.

Germany rebuffed reports that the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG) of countries was set to hold an internal vote on the COP31 host on Tuesday, in an effort to break the deadlock between Australia and Turkiye, as speculation continues over how the impasse will be resolved.

A carbon management advisory firm expects a new exchange-backed platform to help unlock supply of high-durability carbon dioxide removal (CDR) by bringing buyers and suppliers together in the fragmented voluntary carbon market.

The Delaware Superior Court has dismissed a lawsuit between Anew Ventures II and two Terra Global affiliates, ruling that the dispute must be resolved through arbitration.

Despite strong interest in building up Article 6 supply, there are only a handful of sovereign buyers actively looking to procure credits for the period running to 2030, yet capacity building needs among host countries remains an even greater challenge for the near-term scaling of the market, experts and government officials told Carbon Pulse at COP30.

A G20-backed model aimed at harmonising data infrastructures of voluntary and international carbon markets will incorporate Article 6.4's Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM) registry requirements when they are released, the developers said.

A US appeals court has temporarily blocked California’s new climate-risk reporting law while allowing the state’s high-profile corporate emissions disclosure rule to move forward, handing industry groups a partial win.

An African country has signed an agreement with a voluntary carbon organisation to bolster its market infrastructure on Tuesday, in anticipation of passing a new law to establish a national registry.

Development of credits for sale into the UN’s international aviation offsetting scheme (CORSIA) can doubly support countries’ achievement of their climate targets while raising carbon finance, according to an industry brief seen by Carbon Pulse, as part of a COP30 push for Paris Agreement parties to develop fresh supply.

Compared to fossil fuel phaseout, deforestation targets enshrined in the COP28 Global Stock Take (GST) have been relegated to a secondary role, according to observers at Brazil's 'mutirao' dialogues.

Up to 150 GW of coal-fired power capacity assessed in a new study could transition to clean technologies by the end of this decade, according to a report released Wednesday.

A Canadian investment fund and a US forest carbon project developer announced a partnership on Tuesday to help scale improved forest management (IFM) and afforestation projects in the US.

An Australian Indigenous carbon project developer on Tuesday launched a new members-based alliance marketing itself as offering carbon credits aligned with ESG and reconciliation standards.

Japan's top financial institutions are looking to embed the concept of avoided emissions in their assessment frameworks, as Tokyo attempts to take the lead in setting rules for such greenhouse gas output to encourage corporate disclosure.

Japan and Malaysia have signed an industry-led letter calling for host countries to expedite regulation to operationalise the Paris Agreement's Article 6, issue Letters of Authorisation (LoAs), and enable the release of CORSIA-Eligible Emissions Units (EEUs), in an effort to avoid a potential patchwork of measures enacted by jurisdictions frustrated with slow progress or perceived weak ambition within the ICAO international aviation offsetting scheme.

None of the world's largest emitting governments are compliant with the goals of the Paris Agreement, but Denmark was once again a standout performer, according to annual rankings published on Tuesday at COP30.

Central African countries unveiled on Tuesday a new mechanism to reward forest communities for protecting the Congo Basin, rolling out a Payments for Environmental Services (PES) system that directly compensates people for sustainable land use.

Solid as a rock - Puro.earth has officially approved a new version of its enhanced rock weathering (ERW) methodology, following endorsement by its board at the end of last month, it said Tuesday. The final documents, ERW Edition 2025 Version 1, the Transition Plan, and the Public Consultation Outcome, are now available in Puro’s document library. The updated methodology reflects extensive collaboration across the ERW community, with many public consultation comments leading to refinements that enhance scientific integrity, practicality, and efficiency. Puro has launched a structured transition plan: certified facilities may continue using prior until their crediting period ends or adopt the 2025 edition earlier; facilities registered before Dec. 15, 2025, have until Feb. 18, 2026, to submit audit materials or may request certification under the new edition; and facilities registered on or after Dec. 15, 2025 must follow the new 2025 version. Puro will provide ongoing support to ensure a smooth transition for all stakeholders, it said.

Ukraine will claim $43 billion in climate compensation from Russia to fund a low-carbon reconstruction, it announced Tuesday at the COP30 talks in Belem.

An initiative aimed at unlocking financing for peatland conservation and restoration has launched pilots in Peru and Uganda, it announced on Monday.

The European Commission gave the green light on Tuesday to a German plan worth up to €1.75 billion to support Lausitz Energie Kraftwerke AG (LEAG) as the utility moves to shutter its lignite-fired power plants in the Lusatian mining regions by 2038.

European carbon prices clawed back the previous two days' losses on Tuesday and stabilised just below a key technical resistance level, as the market appeared to reject a bearish interpretation of leaked EU documents on benchmark adjustments for the free allocation of EUAs in 2026-30.

France and Brazil announced on Tuesday they are in favour of an ocean taskforce to help raise national efforts to conserve and restore marine habitats.

Forestry emissions - The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has invited companies to pilot test its draft timber and wood fiber pathway, which is included under the Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) Target-Setting Tool. The updates aim to improve near-term target setting, and introduce a new long-term target-setting method to help exposed companies set strong, science-based targets to reduce land-based emissions associated with forestry production. The organisation is calling on companies in the forest and paper products sector, and those with emissions related to timber and wood fiber accounting for 10% or more of their FLAG emissions, to apply to join the pilot of the draft revised pathway. The pilot test is expected to begin no earlier than Q1 2026, and will run for around six weeks. The pilot testing application is open until Jan. 5, 2026.  

Peru’s national carbon registry, which has approved nine methodologies to date, will include several more by February spanning waste, land use, and durable carbon removal (CDR).

China has released its finalised allowance allocation plan to regulate emitters from the cement, steel, and aluminium sectors for 2024 and 2025 compliance under the national emission trading scheme.

Large-scale tree planting in Canada’s northwestern boreal region could remove around 3.9 billion tonnes of CO2 by 2100 under realistic deployment assumptions, research published last week has found.

The UK government is considering some form of mandate, on top of the Emissions Trading System (ETS), to allow the carbon capture and storage (CCS) sector to operate independently of public support, but affordability remains a key concern, said a government representative on Tuesday.

The European Union has untapped potential for onshore carbon storage, with vast amounts of land available for injecting CO2 into deep saline aquifers at significantly lower costs than offshore facilities in depleted oil and gas fields, experts say.

A UK-based standard is seeking feedback on a new avoided deforestation methodology designed for smallholder farmers, while also announcing the delay of a methodology to treat algae.

Suriname has reiterated plans to sell UN-verified REDD+ results under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement as Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), while exploring alternative climate finance measures, according to its third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

Fifteen governments formally committed this week to recognise 160 million hectares of Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and local community land.

A London-based carbon data company on Tuesday launched a biomass data platform at COP30 aimed at improving forest carbon measurement accuracy and credit integrity across both voluntary and compliance markets.

A provision in the latest iteration of an Article 6.2 negotiating text, published Tuesday, would ban trading Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) associated with reports flagged during the Technical Expert Review (TER) process – while every report to date has come back with identified inconsistencies.

AI partnership – Singapore-based AI company Univers and Malaysian clean energy company Amcharge have signed an MoU to deploy AI-powered energy optimisation solutions for industrial and commercial customers in Malaysia and Thailand. The collaboration will combine Univers’ EnOS AIoT platform with Amcharge’s on-ground capabilities to help factories control energy costs, improve reliability, and integrate renewable energy. Up to four pilot manufacturing sites will be selected in 2025 to test AI-enabled maximum demand management, energy efficiency measures, and renewable integration, serving as reference projects for wider rollout. The partnership aims to accelerate progress towards national net zero goals and scale innovations developed through Univers’ Global Impact AI Lab, the companies said.

Cotton credits - The government of Uzbekistan has allocated 55,000 hectares to a regenerative cotton farming programme, designed to generate carbon credits, under a partnership with the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) and blockchain-platform company Bizpando. Under the programme, 98 farmers will be trained on carbon credit verification. The Ministry of Agriculture has begun identifying laboratories for carbon testing and certification, while Bizpando has started registering farmers to document emissions reductions and facilitate future credit payments.

Shifting timelines - India will submit its updated national climate targets to the UN by December, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said at COP30 in Belem, signalling the country’s intent to raise ambition ahead of global negotiations, The Hindu reported. India will also submit its Biennial Transparency Report (BTR) for the first time before the year ends, the minister added. The country remains the largest emitter which is yet to submit its updated climate plans, however, the delay does not mean that climate ambition has waned, according to experts at the ongoing climate summit.

An Amsterdam-based environmental commodities trading firm announced the renewal of its credit facility Tuesday. 

Day 8 at COP30 in Belem. The Brazilian presidency is advancing fast on plans for an outcome at the summit, opening up two core goals, the first being a Belem Package, which will see a showdown on Wednesday on some of the most contentious issues at stake: finance, trade measures, and a lack of ambition in climate plans.

An NGO coalition has announced a three-year programme seeking to curb deforestation risk across the supply chains in over 30 landscapes.

Leading European energy think tanks have urged policymakers to adopt a coordinated, top-down approach to energy infrastructure planning, saying it could cut system costs by over €560 billion and accelerate the transition to climate neutrality by 2050.

Ancient volcanic formations across the UK could offer several billion tonnes of permanent CO2 storage capacity through in-situ mineralisation, new research has found, pointing to a potential onshore complement to the country’s offshore geological reservoirs beneath the North Sea.

Winding up markets in Brazil – Carbon market standard the Global Carbon Council (GCC) has signed a strategic MoU with Associacao Brasileira de Energia Eólica e Novas Tecnologias (ABEEolica). The partnership with Brazil’s wind energy association aims to strengthen the country’s carbon market, and in particular its readiness for international cooperation under the Paris Agreement’s Article 6.2, GCC said in a press release. This will include capacity building on things such as MRV systems and registry infrastructure, and will see ABEEolica support the recognition of GCC as an approved programme under Brazil’s ETS and for Article 6.2 initiatives.

Greens for trees – The Australian government has announced A$11 mln ($7.1 mln) in funding for new plantations, in a bid to grow its domestic timber supply. The cash, from its Support Plantation Establishment Program, will be split among seven projects, which collectively will establish 5,500 ha of new hardwood and softwood plantations, it said in a press release. The new disbursements brings the total money distributed under the programme to A$57 mln.

Chooose your SAF – Cathay Pacific is partnering with climate tech firm Chooose to enable its members to contribute to the airline’s use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), earning 1 Asia Mile for every HK$1 ($0.13) contributed. The integrations with Cathay’s Asia Miles programme is the first step of the partnership, which will also be rolled out to all customers, to enable Scope 3 emissions reduction claims, the tech platform said in a press release. The airline will also be able to streamline its SAF inventory management and liaise directly with suppliers, such as Phillips 66, via the platform.

Battery boost – The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has awarded Li-S Energy A$7.86 mln ($5.1 mln), it said on Tuesday. The money will support Li-S to perform manufacturing optimisation, a feasibility study, and front-end engineering design for a proposed 1 GWh per year lithium-sulphur battery cell production site – 500 times the capacity of Li-S Energy’s current facility. ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the agency was helping accelerate the commercialisation of breakthrough battery technologies. ARENA added that lithium-sulphur batteries could potentially deliver double the energy density of conventional lithium-ion ones, which translates to longer range and lighter weight.

Several African countries are in a strong position to issue Letters of Authorisation (LoAs) for CORSIA, executives from a carbon standard said on Monday, adding that it expects to issue over 386 million units eligible for Phase 1 of the UN's international aviation offsetting scheme.

And the award goes to – New Zealand has been named the ignominious Fossil of the Day at COP30 on Monday. Awarded by CAN International, Monday’s selection of New Zealand was in recognition of the government’s move to reduce its biogenic methane targets, the NGO said in an emailed press release. Greenpeace Aotearoa said this was embarrassing but not a surprise, and decried the government’s bonfire of climate policies.

RGGI Allowance (RGA) futures tumbled nearly 4% last week, falling below $26 over the on the back of diminished trading activity.

Singapore and Thailand published carbon credit programme and methodology lists under their Article 6.2 implementation agreement on Monday at COP30 in Belem.

The coalition government plans to hold auctions next year for state support to build at least 10 GW of hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plants.